Rhett By The Numbers: Who The **** Is This Guy?

[Canejam]

According to this article, Gus Malzahn called plays for the first 4 games in 2016 before handing things over to Lashlee.

Gus Malzahn: Giving up play-calling at Auburn was ‘a mistake’

Gus Malzahn admitted he regretted giving up play-calling a few years ago when he hired Chip Lindsey as offensive coordinator.

www.al.com

Auburn fans have always had a love/hate relationship with Malzahn calling plays. Sometimes he looks like a genius and sometimes he looks like an idiot. He's gone back and forth over the years with calling or not calling plays, and I suspect Lashlee left because of this.

 

[CaneSince4Ever]

Exactly what I suspected. People bag on Buechele here too, but he is a veteran QB who had success at Texas in Sterlin Gilbert’s offense.

They also had a 3 really good veteran WRs including a portal guy or two. Their talent was better than most of their competition, and I just can’t get the last impression of Lashlee out of my mind.

Like I said, his offense would be more fun for us to watch simply because of the pace and yards we would pile up. But our two major problems are 3rd down and redzone. And I don’t know how much he’ll help there.

Lashlee's offense was 6th in 3rd Downs per game, 5th in 3rd Down conversions per game, for a grand total of 43.87% 3rd Down conversion percentage...not bad.

The only number that concerns me is 3rd Downs per game, as the best offenses/teams usually rank at the bottom in that department.

 

[Consigliere]

However, I don't think an OC can have great success under a bad HC

In recent history (say the last 10-15 years), I can think of one major example and that would be 2010 Auburn with Malzahn as OC.

A few things:

1. HC Chizik will likely never be offered a real HC gig again. He was a bad HC. I think we can agree on that. Also, I think we can agree that winning it all is “great success”.

2. Auburn had a very rare talent at QB and Heisman winner.

3. I am of the belief that just because you have special talent or elite talent (e.g. Cam) doesn’t mean you can simply coach them or take advantage of them. They may be able to mask obvious issues with an HC but I don’t believe everyone is capable of taking advantage of said talent.

 

[Dingaan1828]

Does anyone report stats like "points per possession"? It seems like that would trump all other offensive stats.

 

[dk72]

There’s been rumors about him and Rutgers. He’s likely losing Wallace and Hubbard so moving may make sense for him. Still like him over Lashlee too.

Can't imagine Rutgers can pay more than we can, nor would they be a better career move. Hopefully it's still a possibility.

 

[MyKidIsLoggedIn2MyAccount]

Take it from someone who knows both programs. Lashlee came to UConn in 2017 and worked wonders with the offense. WR's wide open like UConn had never seen before. 2 of his top 3 WR's rarely played after 2017 for various head coaching reasons and a philosophy change after Lashlee left. Another walk-on WR caught 6 for 108 and 2 TD's in a game. Guy never saw the field at WR in 2018 or 2019. To me, it says he can take players that aren't the most talented and find ways to get them open. He'd have so much more talent to work with at Miami that the results will be positive.

There are some good points against Lashlee but this is a nice post, too.

Based on his numbers and who SMU beat/did not beat I get the sense that-we will actually beat the teams we are supposed to beat based on having more talent. And with our usual crappy schedule that's a good thing.

Hypothetically this past year against UF I think we maybe would have been a little better, but a lot better against FIU, GT, Duke, La. tech. He strikes me as a guy that would have gotten us to 9-10 wins this year (pre-bowl) though as was brought up, the additional plays on our overrated defense would have shown more holes as well and therefore risks to winning.

I don't think he lights the world on fire, but I do think his style/ he gets us to 9-10 wins (through bowl game) and makes us more exciting both of which is what we need right now (ie respectability and more notice as a competitive program in the ACC). Whether that keeps us in purgatory with Diaz (much like the last four coaches) and saving his sorry *** a few more years,though, is another story. The big changes that are needed we all understand (new AD, brand new staff, etc.).

Just not expecting us to challenge Clemson, etc.

 

[dk72]

What makes anyone think Gleason would leave Ok St? ****, if we're just assuming anyone would would a stable job for a **** show like Miami, lets go for Sean Peyton or Greg Roman.

Yes, yes, we all get it. Miami is the worst team in the world to work for and no one other than a failed Div. 3 coach would ever come to be an OC here...blah, blah.

He would leave Ok. St. because he would get paid more here and it's a much more high profile job.

 

[Gatorhater]

People used whatever S&P is to try and tell me Penos was good.

I don't trust all that Gypsy voodoo analytics now. I'm an old crusty Saban and Belicheck looking candidates in the eye and asking one thing:

did you move the ball and did you score?

That's two things, but other than that love your stuff here. "special Olympics team playing with a lubed up watermelon." was potentially offensive but FunnyAsHell. I do think who the players were in his good years might matter. Numbers can look good when you have a real good QB and then tank when it is you alone against the D. Coker was bad *** at one time too.

 

[The Franchise]

I agree. If you come out and start putting up points you start putting pressure on the other teams O to come out and score to keep up. Once they panic they start making mistakes, doing things they didn't game plan for, and start turning the ball over.

Look at the ND game from a couple of years ago. If we sit and let them hang around for a quarter or 2 that's a whole different ball game.

252 is right. The D doesn’t have to suffer if you go frenetic tempo. But pointing out one of the top 5 talented teams in the country in Ohio Taint as support isn’t overly persuasive. The overwhelming amount of frenetic tempo teams suffer defensively.

We definitely need to get more plays in, but our defense will regress. I’m almost sure of it. We’ll see though.

 

[filmcane]

252 is right. The D doesn’t have to suffer if you go frenetic tempo. But pointing out one of the top 5 talented teams in the country in Ohio Taint as support isn’t overly persuasive. The overwhelming amount of frenetic tempo teams suffer defensively.

We definitely need to get more plays in, but our defense will regress. I’m almost sure of it. We’ll see though.

I do feel like the net sum, assuming we get in more plays and score more points, will be positive. Plus, regularly going 3 & out like we did, is also hurting your D.

 

[AllAboutTheU]

Can't imagine Rutgers can pay more than we can, nor would they be a better career move. Hopefully it's still a possibility.

He's from Jersey, and Schiano has more job security given that he's a first year HC and he's their most successful coach ever.

 

[The Franchise]

Take it from someone who knows both programs. Lashlee came to UConn in 2017 and worked wonders with the offense. WR's wide open like UConn had never seen before. 2 of his top 3 WR's rarely played after 2017 for various head coaching reasons and a philosophy change after Lashlee left. Another walk-on WR caught 6 for 108 and 2 TD's in a game. Guy never saw the field at WR in 2018 or 2019. To me, it says he can take players that aren't the most talented and find ways to get them open. He'd have so much more talent to work with at Miami that the results will be positive.

Arguably, his receivers and QB at SMU this year were better players than ours. Maybe we have more raw talent, but their top 3 WRs were excellent players and Buechelle is at least as good as any of our guys.

 

[filmcane]

One of the things I'm cautious about regarding the spread (although, I'm all for going to the spread) is the possibility of not focusing on a good run game. Turns out, he does plenty of that in his scheme. Win, lose, Manny getting fired or retained...let's just watch some entertaining football from Miami for a season, shall we? I want to see some scoring.

 

[dk72]

One of the things I'm cautious about regarding the spread (although, I'm all for going to the spread) is the possibility of not focusing on a good run game. Turns out, he does plenty of that in his scheme. Win, lose, Manny getting fired or retained...let's just watch some entertaining football from Miami for a season, shall we? I want to see some scoring.

The reality is "spread" is a very generic term. Under that umbrella there are a LOT of different varieties of spread offenses that emphasize different aspects of the game. There are teams that actually run as much or more out of the spread than they throw.

 

[AllAboutTheU13]

From an Auburn article, explaining the split between Lashlee and Malzahn and why Lashlee went to UConn.

 

[mossmadness]

People used whatever S&P is to try and tell me Penos was good.

I don't trust all that Gypsy voodoo analytics now. I'm an old crusty Saban and Belicheck looking candidates in the eye and asking one thing:

did you move the ball and did you score?

His S&P+ numbers were concerning.
Arkansas was way there was maybe reason to think it could work.
But I remember having a long back and forth with one of the “experts” on this board over how bad his S&P+ numbers were at CMU.

 

[The Franchise]

He's from Jersey, and Schiano has more job security given that he's a first year HC and he's their most successful coach ever.

Jersey guys love Miami. Buttgers is the biggest toilet in college football. The luster the monkey had at Buttgers in the Big East 10 years ago won’t translate to the Big 10.

I know our fans are beat down and hate all things UM, but if Gleeson has the option, he’d be retarded to choose Buttgers.

 

[CaneLife93]

His S&P+ numbers were concerning.
Arkansas was way there was maybe reason to think it could work.
But I remember having a long back and forth with one of the “experts” on this board over how bad his S&P+ numbers were at CMU.

Interesting note, guess who was the OL coach for Arkansas and recruited and coach those boys before Enos became the OC...Sam Pittman, one of the best OL coaches in the country. Probably had a part how successful Enos was early on with that OL.

 

[DCH]

He’s run 3 offenses and two were terrible. This year he was great when the best QB in the conference fell into his lap. Pass.

 

[Cuban-Cane]

Yeah it’s easy to get snookered by total offense numbers when a guy is running 80+ plays per game. Show me 3rd down, yards per play, red zone, yards per pass attempt.

He’s being lauded for his work at smu, but that offense took a dive his first year.

Pretty clear our total offense would improve dramatically under him. It’ll be a much more fun offense to watch. But will it help lead to more wins by converting 3rd downs and scoring in the redzone? Keep in mind also that running 80+ plays is fun, but we’re going to give up a lot more points too.

3rd down and red zone efficiency always take a hit in a true uptempo spread.